- Soweto residents are continuing with clean-up operations following a devastating four days of looting.
- An owner of a wholesaler in Dhlamini said he would refurbish the damaged property and continue serving the community.
- A manager told News24 the mayhem started soon after vehicles parked outside the premises.
On Monday, two vehicles packed with passengers stopped outside Supa Store Cash & Carry's premises. Moments later, chaos ensued when they barged into the premises to loot.
So, recalled Tau Chikonye, a senior manager at the store that has serviced the residents of Dhlamini in Soweto for more than 20 years.
Chikonye spoke to News24 during a clean-up operation at the now-ransacked store on Thursday.
What remain in the shop are scattered bottles, spilt maize meal and other products.
Three days ago, Soweto's streets were filled with people pulling trolleys and carrying plastic bags filled with looted items from malls, spaza shops and petrol station convenience stores.
Some trolleys carried furniture, chests of drawers, cupboards and even beds. But on Wednesday and Thursday a different picture emerged as most streets had people carrying brooms, rakes and spades en route to ransacked properties.
Among those affected were Jabulani Mall, Protea Garden Mall, Diepkloof Square and the Sizwe Shopping Centre.
Supa Store, which is close to a Rea Vaya bus station, has more than 200 employees who have now been left anxious about their job security.
Chikonye said their employer, Gerald Lai, assured them their jobs would be safe once the insurance had been paid out and maintenance concluded.
But it would not be overnight, meaning workers would be without an income for a few months, he added.
"It's going to be difficult; it's going to be challenging, but there is that layer of hope that we will get our jobs back."
Recalling the events of earlier this week, Chikonye said after they had observed that the situation was volatile on Monday, they decided to close the store and barricade the entrance.
"At that point, there [were] two vehicles outside with people already drinking and taunting us and saying 'it's party night for them'. By the time we left at around 15:00, there [were] at least 20 to 30 people and we could see [them] gravitating towards us," he added.
The police tried to calm the situation but were outnumbered. By 18:00, the numbers had escalated, and the looting continued throughout the night until Tuesday morning.
News24 was at the store on Tuesday and witnessed hundreds of people looting. Some residents were even packing bricks and other building material into car boots.
Soon after the publication arrived and witnessed the chaotic scenes, a convoy of police and SA National Defence Force vehicles sped in and started firing rubber bullets to scatter the crowd.
News24 also witnessed soldiers firing shots in the air in an attempt to scare off the looters.
The body of a woman was found inside a storeroom when law enforcement agencies gained access to it.
Chikonye said: "When we do assess, there are different agendas that were here. Initially, there was a political motive, and then you had your seasoned criminals who came to break safes and ATMs. Then you had vandals coming to break whatever infrastructure they [could].
"Some people [were] even coming to park their vehicles outside to loot whatever. We got a diesel tank here; some guy just came to loot diesel; he was [making] trips in and out… People were taking bricks, building material…"
The store had about 600 pallets worth of goods that were cleaned out.
He added the looters also made off with computers, servers, tills, and even tyres and steering wheels from trucks.
Meanwhile, Lai was in good spirits and said he would do his best to get the store up and running again.
"Personally, I am not upset; I am just hoping insurance can sort us out, and we will be up and ready to serve this community that we love so much in Soweto and provide jobs to our loyal staff, all 230 of them. That's my mission[and] purpose now."
He added he did not blame residents but "third force agendas", which he said he personally witnessed.
![-âcÂÕ?±E¨ÚKu+}]%Ö&¦?Ìr4ùaÇ?g](https://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/11374/68e4b84c68d74b07844b67c7fdbef970.jpg "Community members volunteer in a clean up operation in Soweto after days of violent riots affected malls, shops and businesses in the area.")
Lai said he had witnessed groups instigating looting at the store.
"One of the biggest things I regret here is that a young lady passed away. It's not about the financial loss; it's about lives. We are going to now focus on rebuilding this for the community and staff members so we can create employment. So, there is no anger…"
He pleaded with residents to come out in their numbers to assist with clean-up operations.
While the clean up was underway at Supa Store, it ground to a halt at Protea Gardens Mall.
Residents, some clad in party political regalia, had already started sweeping but were informed to stop because the centre's owners first wanted to assess the damage.
Speaking at the mall before they were informed to stop cleaning, Addison Mathopa, an Action SA member, said residents had taken it upon themselves to clean up affected shops across the township.
Mathopa added Action SA was not there for politics but was merely leading the residents following the chaos.
He said they were clearing up the mall voluntarily without expecting compensation.
Mathopa added the cleaning process and access to the malls was done orderly to avoid opportunists from entering.
Residents were seen entering the mall in cohorts and allocated certain areas while leaders monitored them as they were cleaning.
The protests erupted following the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma at Estcourt Correctional Centre.
His supporters had called for his release after the Constitutional Court sentenced him to 15 months' imprisonment for failing to appear before the Zondo Commission.